North Carolina’s 10 minor league baseball teams, including the Carolina Mudcats, have a significant impact on the state’s economy, according to a new analysis. The more than 2.3 million baseball fans generate almost $60 million in annual spending.

Baseball fans in North Carolina add about $47 million in value to the state’s economy, according to the analysis by the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. The teams, which represent five different leagues, also pay or induce $9.1 million in wages and collectively generate $5.2 million in state and local sales tax revenue.

The analysis also reveals that more than four in 10 fans are women.

Minor league baseball attendance has increased from 12.3 million in 1980 to more than 43 million last season.

Besides the Mudcats, the state’s minor league teams include the Asheville Tourists, Burlington Royals, Charlotte Knights, Durham Bulls, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Hickory Crawdads, Kannapolis Intimidators, Kinston Indians, and Winston-Salem Warthogs.